LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas lawmakers on Friday once again blocked an effort to create a special day to commemorate Thomas Paine, claiming the founding father published criticisms of the Bible and Christianity.

By a nearly two-to-one margin, House lawmakers rejected the measure to designate Jan. 29 as “Thomas Paine Day.” The vote was 28-44.

The proposal, by Republican Rep. Randy Alexander wouldn’t have created a legal holiday but would have established a “memorial day” for Paine. Other historical figures who enjoy that distinction in Arkansas include Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis and Gen. Douglas MacArthur. Alexander said his goal was to promote education of how the nation was founded.

The bill’s opponents, however, said they didn’t want to honor someone who was opposed to Christianity.

Rep. Jody Dickinson, D-Newport, said some of Paine’s writings were “very insulting” to religion.

Rep. Kim Hammer, R-Benton suggested that Paine’s views served as inspiration for people who support want to remove religion from government and public life.

“Do you think that perhaps that this gentleman and his overall view of life, helped formulate any of the opinions that we as society today are being challenge by with regards to the view of religion as an interaction with government?” he said.

“All of our founders had flaws,” Alexander said in response to lawmakers’ concerns. “The God that he probably didn’t believe in, I think, gifted Mr. Paine with some skills that God was able to use to advance freedom which is one of our inalienable rights.”

Previous efforts to honor Paine, whose influential writings are credited with inspiring the American Revolution, failed to clear the Legislature in 2007 and 2009.